The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has submitted another blow to the soda industry in a petition with the FDA to ban ingredients commonly known as "caramel coloring" found in many sodas and snack food items due to the increased risk of cancer caused by these colorants.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has submitted another blow to the soda industry in a petition with the FDA to ban ingredients commonly known as “caramel coloring” found in many sodas and snack food items due to the increased risk of cancer caused by these colorants.

Caramel coloring is far different from actual caramel, according to CSPI, who has said that the chemicals made during the caramel color process are “considered to pose cancer threats to humans,” and they call for banning all caramel colorings. In a letter to Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner, CSPI stated that “the American public should not be exposed to any cancer risk whatsoever as a result of consuming such chemicals, especially when they serve a non-essential, cosmetic purpose.”

A process of reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites in high pressure and high temperature environments creates caramel colors and also causes a chemical reaction resulting in 2-methylimidazole (2-MI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MI). Both 2-MI and 4-MI were tested in government studies and shown to cause several types of cancers including lung, liver, thyroid and leukemia in lab animals.

Popular soda brands currently contain about 200 micrograms of 4-MI per 20-ounce bottle, but California’s Proposition 65 may potentially include 4-MI to the list of “chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.” Foods and beverages containing more than specific levels of identified chemicals would be required to carry warning labels and reduce the levels of 4-MI in products, with the maximum level for 4-MI limited to 16 micrograms per person per day (from any one product).

Response from the grocery industry defended the safety of their products and ingredients such as caramel color stating that 4-MI is found in trace amounts of many food and beverage items and that there is no evidence concluding that 4-MI leads to cancer or any other human health risk. The Grocery Manufacturers Association said, “no health regulatory agency around the globe, including the FDA, has said that [4-MI] is a known human carcinogen.”

In addition to warning about caramel coloring, CSPI has been urging the FDA about the effects of synthetic food colorings for some time. Yellow 5 and Red 40 have been linked to behavioral problems in children and Red 3 and Yellow 5 have been shown to pose cancer risks.

Guidelines for Cooking Eggs Emphasized. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reminding consumers to cook eggs thoroughly. This means scrambled eggs should be cooked until firm, not runny. If you’re frying, poaching, boiling or baking eggs, cook them until both the whites and yolks are firm. And if you’re using eggs in casseroles, cook the dish until the internal temperature reaches 160°F; use a food thermometer to verify.

FDA Commissioner Speaks Out.Margaret Hamburg, MD, who this week appeared on several network morning shows, says egg-safety laws that took effect in July could have prevented this crisis. She’s now pushing for passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which has yet to receive a full Senate vote. But some critics believe FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigations are inadequate. Food, Inc. producer Robert Kenner continues to call attention to the dangers of factory farms.

Wright County Egg Owner Called “Corporate Criminal.” Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, reveals that Wright County Egg owner Jack DeCoster’s “malfeasance reaches back for decades, but he seems to regard fines as the cost of doing business.” Check out Reich’s blog for The Christian Science Monitor.

“This urgent nationwide recall is very disturbing, not only because it appears to have been preventable, but it also may have been the result of an inefficient and unresponsive food safety system. Given the split jurisdiction between FDA and USDA over ensuring the safety of eggs, I fear the investigation and subsequent recall may have been delayed as FDA traced the source of the contamination.

“Because USDA is responsible for egg safety at processing plants, it is troubling that FDA is the lead agency in this investigation, even though it has never inspected the Wright County Egg facility. Instead of reinforcing each other’s work, the current food safety system of split jurisdiction appears to have resulted in a disjointed inspection process.

“It has never been more clear that Congress needs to pass FDA food safety legislation this year that will increase inspections at high-risk facilities, establish performance standards for reducing foodborne pathogens and grant FDA mandatory recall authority. This bill, combined with the FDA egg safety rule that went into effect July 9, could have prevented or minimized this salmonella outbreak.

“In the long term, we must create a single food safety agency that consolidates the work that is currently splintered across 15 federal agencies. One agency focused exclusively on protecting our food supply would prevent jurisdictional confusion, result in an efficient and responsive food safety system, and diminish the potential for future outbreaks such as this one.”

Guidelines for Cooking Eggs Emphasized. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reminding consumers to cook eggs thoroughly. This means scrambled eggs should be cooked until firm, not runny. If you’re frying, poaching, boiling or baking eggs, cook them until both the whites and yolks are firm. And if you’re using eggs in casseroles, cook the dish until the internal temperature reaches 160°F; use a food thermometer to verify.

FDA Commissioner Speaks Out.Margaret Hamburg, MD, who this week appeared on several network morning shows, says egg-safety laws that took effect in July could have prevented this crisis. She’s now pushing for passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which has yet to receive a full Senate vote. But some critics believe FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigations are inadequate. Food, Inc. producer Robert Kenner continues to call attention to the dangers of factory farms.

Wright County Egg Owner Called “Corporate Criminal.” Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, reveals that Wright County Egg owner Jack DeCoster’s “malfeasance reaches back for decades, but he seems to regard fines as the cost of doing business.” Check out Reich’s blog for The Christian Science Monitor.

“This urgent nationwide recall is very disturbing, not only because it appears to have been preventable, but it also may have been the result of an inefficient and unresponsive food safety system. Given the split jurisdiction between FDA and USDA over ensuring the safety of eggs, I fear the investigation and subsequent recall may have been delayed as FDA traced the source of the contamination.

“Because USDA is responsible for egg safety at processing plants, it is troubling that FDA is the lead agency in this investigation, even though it has never inspected the Wright County Egg facility. Instead of reinforcing each other’s work, the current food safety system of split jurisdiction appears to have resulted in a disjointed inspection process.

“It has never been more clear that Congress needs to pass FDA food safety legislation this year that will increase inspections at high-risk facilities, establish performance standards for reducing foodborne pathogens and grant FDA mandatory recall authority. This bill, combined with the FDA egg safety rule that went into effect July 9, could have prevented or minimized this salmonella outbreak.

“In the long term, we must create a single food safety agency that consolidates the work that is currently splintered across 15 federal agencies. One agency focused exclusively on protecting our food supply would prevent jurisdictional confusion, result in an efficient and responsive food safety system, and diminish the potential for future outbreaks such as this one.”